


Part of the Family

by theprincessed



Series: Aaron Week 2018 [7]
Category: Emmerdale
Genre: Aaron Dingle POV, Dogs, Drama, Family Feels, Father-Son Relationship, Fatherhood, Future Fic, Gen, M/M, Pets, Puppies
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-18
Updated: 2018-11-18
Packaged: 2019-08-20 10:06:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,817
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16553759
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/theprincessed/pseuds/theprincessed
Summary: Wolfie the dog goes missing, but that's only the beginning of this tale for the Sugden-Dingle family.(Day 7: Free Choice)





	Part of the Family

**Author's Note:**

> Hiya! The last one and I couldn't resist "tale = tail" lol. I had way too much fun writing and Wolfie became a bigger star than I anticipated in this. Now, deep breath:
> 
> Wolfie, Iolo, Vincent, Lin, Theo, Joshua and Taylor are all mine. Everything else isn't. And yes, they have a brood of sons. I think it's interesting to think about families that end up with all one gender. My sister has two boys and got asked if she was disappointed not to have a girl. Like, no. Don't talk daft lol.
> 
> Thank you to everyone who has left kudos or commented this week. It's been a pleasure to write and post for you. :)
> 
> Hope you enjoy this farewell to the week x

The house is in chaos.

It's another typical day of trying to get the kids ready to leave the Mill so that they can go and visit their brother in his first year at university. It's not long before Christmas break, but Vincent's been asking to see him and Aaron has never been able to refuse those molten chocolate puppy dog eyes, even if right now his son is trying to steal a toy his younger brother is currently playing with. At least they're sitting on the sofa together.

"Vincent, come on!" Aaron sighs crossly, glancing up as he struggles one twin into their coat whilst Robert changes the other's nappy in the downstairs bathroom. "Play nice,"

"But I want it," Vincent pouts, scowling at Lin who blinks innocently.

Aaron rights a squirming Joshua into his car seat and fails to see Vincent push Lin too far until it's too late, the 2-and-a-half-year-old striking out at his brother with his palm. Vincent might be nearly 4 years older, but Lin has never let that stop him from showing him who's boss and maybe Aaron was chancing it leaving them to sit there, but today seems to be a bit of a mad one.

"Lin Xiao, no!" he chastises, making sure Joshua is secure before he takes two strides and he's breaking his other sons up, even though Lin is wide eyed with shock, at what he did or being caught, Aaron's not sure. "Don't hit your brother, that's naughty! And where do naughty boys go?"

"Aaron, what's - " he hears behind him as Robert emerges, a sniffling Theodore in his arms.

"Daddy, no!" Vincent shouts, now faced with the real prospect of his little brother being put on the naughty step as punishment.

"Naughty," Lin mumbles, lip trembling.

Aaron breathes deeply and rolls his eyes before he squeezes Lin's small hand in his and crouches to his level. "Okay, mate. You don't have to go on the naughty step this time, but you do have to say sorry for hitting Vinnie, yeah?"

He touches a finger gently to Lin's flat nose to make his son smile. "He hit Vinnie?" Robert asks, turning from where he's strapped Theo into the seat beside Joshua.

"Ah, it was a tap," Aaron dismisses quietly. He catches Vincent's gap toothed grin up at him, his first baby tooth gone, and narrows his eyes. "But that doesn't make it right. Lin, say sorry."

"Sorry, Vin," he obeys sweetly, looking at Aaron afterwards.

"Good boy." He kisses Lin's forehead then smooths his hand over Vincent's hair. "Oh, we really need to get you to a barbers soon,"

"I'll take him next week to Jamal's in Hotten," Robert chips in helpfully and their eyes meet over their brood, so happy to be living a life of domesticity that's been hard fought. With four sons accounted for, he suddenly frowns as they're missing one. "Where's Iolo got to? He's coming with us, right?"

Aaron moves to the spiral staircase - never got round to removing it, now thought of as a fun achievement to tackle everyday - because the last time he saw their eldest of the house, Iolo was in his room (formerly Liv's) and Aaron was getting Joshua dressed down the hall. "Iolo? Get a move on, mate!"

With no answer, he looks at Robert in confusion before the stained glass front door opens and their rogue 11 year old comes running in. "Dad! Dad! Wolfie's missing!"

"What?"

"I can't find her!" Iolo cries, eyes darting around and his movements jittery with worry.

Robert not so much. "She's probably just out around the village somewhere, intimidating the sheep,"

"She _is_ pregnant, Robert," Aaron reminds him of their family dog, a blue merle border collie about to give birth to her first - and last, if his husband has his way - litter of pups any day now.

"Well, what do ya want us to do about it?"

"Wool'ie?" Lin asks, trying to follow the conversation as he hugs Aaron's leg.

He looks down at his young son and then at his oldest, torn before making a decision. "Right, out we go! I'll take these three and if you can put the twins in their double pushchair instead - "

Iolo cheers and his younger brothers copy, the babies starting to make noise in their restlessness at being strapped into their cat seats but not going anywhere. Robert strokes the backs of their hands to try and quiet them. "You're not serious? Aaron - "

"Look at your son," Aaron says tightly, nodding to Iolo as he picks Lin up. "Our pregnant dog isn't where she should be, safe and warm, and the kids need us to find her. He's 18 and at uni, Rob. I'm sure he'll be absolutely fine with a few more hours of us not ruining his street cred."

Robert looks skeptical at that part and Aaron rolls his eyes like _you know what I mean_ ; Seb the smart, bookish type destined to use his brain rather than any interest of following the crowd. Aaron watches him unclip Theo and Joshua. "I'll meet you outside the pub?"

Aaron could kiss him. Instead he settles for a smile, tells Lin to hold on tight to his neck and grabs Vincent's hand with his free one to pull them out of the house with Iolo already gone.

"Wool'ie?" Lin repeats as they stop in front of The Woolpack, knowing he's saying her name.

Iolo has disappeared and Aaron lets Vincent go to hopefully catch up with his brother. He adjusts Lin on his hip, thankful that they were already in coats to start the drive to Leeds so that he could postpone it and look for their mad dog. "Yeah, we'll find Wolfie, I'm sure. She's probably having a rest. It's hard work taking care of babies, even when they aren't born yet."

Lin giggles as Aaron tickles his belly, stopping when Iolo comes racing towards him from around the back of the pub, Vincent in tow. "Anything?"

Vincent shakes his head, out of breath. "No, Daddy, No Wolfie. Iolo said she likes to lay under the benches,"

"She does, especially in the summer," Aaron agrees, brushing Iolo's mop of dark blonde waves gone curly with sweat off his forehead until his son ducks away and he smiles inwardly. Despite being adopted, Iolo's hair sometimes reminds Aaron of Theo's, one of his 8-month-old babies as a result of their first try at surrogacy after years of adoption. He's a brunette like his dad and it seems he's going to inherit Aaron's genes on the curls front, whereas his brother Joshua will not.

As he wonders what's taking the twins and Robert so long, Aaron hears the trundle of the double pushchair's wheels on gravel. Robert's face is flushed and Aaron drops his gaze to Theo and Joshua, both of them holding one of Lin's Barbie dolls each. Well, more like slobbering all over them.

"Yuck!" Lin exclaims, arms reaching out. "No T'eo! No Jo'hie!"

"I had to change Joshua when you left," Robert explains. "It was the only way I could think to keep them both occupied. The baby wipes trick has lost its novelty, apparently." He looks at the pub and their surroundings. "Any sign of the old girl?"

"She's not old," Iolo bites back, "and no, she's not here. Where is she, Dad?"

He doesn't have much of his native accent anymore, except for when he's anxious and Aaron just wants to squeeze him so tight and take away the worry by finding her. Even though Robert pretends otherwise sometimes, he knows they all feel that she's a big part of their lives. She's the only female of the house since Liv moved into Keepers for a bit to "get away from all the testosterone," or, more likely, a better night's sleep away from a gang of babies and young children now that she's a working adult. 

Aaron puts his arm around Iolo's shoulders, the boy almost reaching his already, and tries to ignore Lin's efforts to escape and recapture his dolls from his baby brothers. "We'll find her, I promise ya. Your Dad's right, she won't have run miles away. What if we go and check with Paddy at the vets, eh?"

Aaron falls into step with Robert as they walk to the surgery and is aware of him staring at him side on. "What?"

"Nothing," Robert smiles, the pushchair in front of them as Iolo and Vincent take the lead again. "Sometimes I still can't believe this is our life, surrounded by noisy, fighting boys. It's only gonna get worse y'know?"

"Can't wait," Aaron says dryly, but part of him means it. He wants everything, all the tantrums, all the tears, all the fights because it makes the good times that much sweeter.

"Also, we look like the Osmonds right now," Robert laughs.

Aaron's mouth curls in disdain as he opens the door to the surgery and sees Chas giving Paddy a kiss on the cheek. "The Osmonds? Your references are so out of date. A 5-a-side football team, I'll take."

"Osmonds? You?" Chas raises an eyebrow. "But you don't have a Marie,"

"Ah, I loved that one song," Paddy sighs dreamily, "It was - uh - oh god, I've forgotten what its called - um - y'know, the one - "

He looks to Chas for help. "Puppy Love?"

"Puppy!" Lin yells, finally distracted from his toys being shared.

"No, silly!" Paddy tuts, grinning at Lin. "The - it's - er - _Crazy Horses_! That's the one I was thinking of, which _is_ crazy really, considering I'm not - well, I'm not great with them."

"Of course," Robert rolls his eyes and Aaron nudges him with his elbow. He and Paddy might have a calmer relationship since he married Aaron, but Robert still finds time for a good-natured remark every now and then.

"Anyway, what're you doing here?" Aaron says to his mum, "and where are our sons?"

Paddy jerks a thumb behind his back. "Looking at what's in at the moment,"

"And this one forgot his lunch, so I thought I'd bring it to him," Chas adds. "Oi, I thought you lot were going visiting?"

"So did I," Robert quips. "But something came up. Wolfie's gone AWOL, so we're here to ask if you've come across her today."

Paddy looks regretful. "No, sorry. I'll keep an eye out though. Shouldn't she be about ready to pop that litter? Not that - um - not that I'm telling ya what to do,"

"Yeah, that's what I'm worried about. Iolo too," Aaron sighs, itching to get going again, especially when Iolo and Vincent come from the back of the surgery. They look a little happier at having seen the animals Paddy, Vanessa and Rhona are currently helping but it's still not right. He's trying not to think of worse case scenario. If he has to tell the kids - 

"Aw, you poor loves," Chas coos, stepping towards Lin, Theo and Joshua. "Would a cuddle with your Nana Chas make it better?"

"Yeah! Cuddle!" Lin beams, squirming. They really should go, but Aaron gives up restraining him to pass him off to his mum for a second or two.

"Oh, you're a sweet boy." Chas holds him close and Aaron's heart fills. She's such a great nana and it makes him extra proud as he sees Robert has the same expression on his face. "I could take him off your hands for a bit if you want? Whilst you search?"

"It is one less monster to wrangle," Robert shrugs, affection in his tone.

"I draw the line at taking the twins as well though," she jokes. "There's not enough hands in the world for me to do that on me own with a pub to run. At least until they're this one's age,"

She tickles Lin like Aaron did and he watches his son collapse into giggles again. It's the best sound there is, along with his sons playing nicely together and, more privately, that hitched, low little moan Robert makes when Aaron does something he _really_ likes.

"Thanks, Mum," he says, clearing his throat to rid his mind of certain images. "I'll call ya when we find her."

"Come on, kids! Let's go!" Robert rallies them, pushing Joshua and Theo out of the surgery.

"Wait! Wait! Where's my kisses, eh?" Chas exclaims, hopping in front of them with Lin.

"Sorry, I forgot never to get between a nana and her grandsons,"

Chas kisses Theo and Joshua on their wrinkly foreheads and Aaron smiles as Lin copies her at the same time. "Damn straight, Robert Sugden-Dingle. Now, call Paddy if you need any help with Wolfie, okay?"

"Yes, Mum," Robert teases before Aaron can speak.

"Wave bye-bye to your daddies and brothers," she picks up Lin's arm. "We'll see them later after we've had so much fun. Shall we make some people very happy? - Shall we? - What drink do you like best, eh? - Tell your Nana Chas - "

Aaron watches her walk back towards the pub, chattering away to Lin as he babbles at her in return. He really couldn't do this without her.

"Dad! Hurry up!" Vincent calls and he snaps back to reality to Robert and the kids ahead of him.

He feels Paddy come up behind him at the door and squeeze his shoulder. "Like your Mum said, call me if you need me."

"Hope not," Aaron mumbles grimly.

He joins Robert and the twins as they pass the cafe and the cottages on Main Street. Just past Keepers, they hear a shout coming from the playground next to the village hall. Aaron runs ahead of Robert to find Vincent standing by the swings and Iolo crouched underneath the slide.

"Dad! Dad! I found her!" he yells, hearing Aaron's footsteps.

"Nice one, mate," he grins, but his joy is short-lived as he realises what's going on and turns to his husband. "Robert, grab Vinnie for me,"

Robert takes hold of a wandering Vincent's hand and puts the brake on the pushchair. "What's wrong?"

Aaron gets on his knees where Wolfie has laid on the soft mulch, a temporary nest. "She's in labour. She's already delivered one." Aaron picks up the tiny white and black pup, cleans its muzzle and thrusts it into Iolo's arms. "Rub it with your coat for now to keep it warm,"

"What is it?"

"It's a boy," he laughs.

"Wolfie's pooping puppies, Daddy!" Vincent giggles.

"Not quite, but now's not the time to teach you otherwise," Robert replies, as they hear a breath and a squeak from Iolo's puffa jacket. "Aaron, what do we do? Should we call Paddy?"

"Yeah, call him. Tell him to come to ours." Wolfie looks a little more with it; over the surprise of the first one and not straining again as of yet, so he takes a chance and carefully scoops her into his arms. She's heavy anyway, but especially with the extra weight, and she groans lowly as Aaron stands. "I know, I know, I'm sorry, girl - come on, let's get you comfy at home."

Phone between his ear and shoulder, Robert follows as Iolo clutches the first pup and runs with Aaron's keys to open the flat. "Is this wise? Moving her, I mean,"

"No idea, but she'll be warmer in the Mill and we've got everything there." Aaron kisses her head as he feels a ripple beneath his fingers. "You're such a good girl - gonna make such a good mum, aren't ya?"

"Paddy? - Yeah, we found her," Robert says when he answers the call. "Listen, she's gone into labour - no, come to the Mill - yeah, okay - "

Happy that Paddy is on the way as a precaution, Aaron rushes through the flat as carefully as he can and gently lays Wolfie into the large cardboard box prepared for her a few weeks ago, in the corner of the living area and lined with towels; a spare stack sat outside the box in case they're needed. In the time it's taken Aaron to bring her in, Iolo is rubbing the first pup with a towel. He's had some experience from watching Paddy at work sometimes, but Aaron is proud of his son all the same.

"You can put him in the box with her if you like." Iolo looks reluctant. "She needs her pups close by, mate."

Aaron hears Robert hit the door with the pushchair, swear under his breath and startle their babies into a cry as Vincent comes bounding over and Iolo relinquishes his hold on the pup, reunited with his mother in the box. Aaron is distracted by Theo and Joshua wailing until Vincent shoves him excitedly.

"Daddy, look! A tail!"

He sits Vincent down next to Iolo and leans over the box to see. Indeed, Wolfie's second pup is coming out tail first. As far as he's concerned, Paddy arrives when things are getting a little weird.

"Wow, it's like World War Three in here!" he jokes, shutting up when he sees the look on Robert's face because Aaron's got his hands full with their dog, so the twins can't be divided.

"Paddy, is this normal?" Aaron asks before Robert snaps at him.

He peers into the box for no more than a second or two. "Yeah, she's fine. You might have to help her out a bit more, but tail first isn't that unusual." He turns away from Aaron. "Hey, uh - do you want a hand?"

"Would you?" Robert breathes, relieved. He's bouncing Joshua, but has had to leave Theo cry it out.

"Absolutely," Paddy grins. "I'll stay for Wolfie and get all the cuddles from this one too, kill two birds with one stone!"

Vincent's dark eyes bulge in horror. "Kill birds?"

"It's a saying, sweetheart. It means to do two things at the same time." Robert soothes, finally able to talk at a normal volume again as Joshua calms and Theo is stunned into silence from suddenly being enveloped in Paddy's arms. "How's she doing, Aaron?"

"She's incredible. Got another one." He holds her briefly aloft. "A girl!"

"Finally more female influence in this place," Robert grins, smoothing a finger over Joshua's little head as he rests on his shoulder, drama forgotten.

Paddy stays and helps with Theo as promised and Wolfie soldiers on through the next few hours of labour, giving birth to her pups like a pro until Paddy has counted 6 placentas, meaning 6 puppies snuggle blindly against their exhausted mother in varying patches of white and black.

"So many," Vincent gasps in awe.

"Yeah, having lots of kids seems to run in the family," Paddy smirks. He hands Theo back to Robert, one in each crook of his elbow, and checks Wolfie over. As Aaron makes sure all the pups are breathing well and warm, he puts some food and water down for their mother, scratching behind her ears. "Everything looks good and hopefully she'll eat and drink. Well done, Wolfie."

"Can we keep them?"

Aaron grimaces, afraid that question would come up. "Ask your other Daddy."

"Aaron!" Robert admonishes.

Before he give a proper answer, there's a knock at the door and Chas comes in quietly with a sleeping Lin. "I think that was an afternoon of too much excitement for this little one."

"I can't tell if that's sarcasm or not."

"Well if you can't - " Aaron squeezes Robert's shoulder as he walks past. He'd like to flick him in the head, but he resists the impulse as he doesn't wish to disturb the twins. "Hi, Mum. Thanks for taking him. Hopefully he's too young to care that he missed this."

Chas' mouth drops open as she hands Lin to her son and leans over the box wriggling with newborn puppies. "Oh my god!" she whisper-shouts, "You found her and she had her babies? Aw, my baby's baby had babies!" She pinches Aaron's cheek to annoy him then hits Paddy in the arm, hard. "Why didn't you ring me? My grandson missed his dog giving birth!"

"It was kinda weird, Nana Chas," Iolo confesses, although he continues to sit by the box with Vincent, both of them staring inside.

"Ah, I suppose it is," she shrugs. "So? Boys or girls?"

"2 boys and 4 girls," Aaron grins. "We've had a good go at balancing the numbers, thanks to her."

"And you're keeping them?"

Aaron looks at Robert for him to have the final word. "We'll see."

He knows they probably can't realistically keep all of the puppies because they lead busy, choatic lives as it is, but he also knows that Robert's not the kind of father to say so bluntly in their children's presence. They'll work up to letting Iolo and Vincent down gently, in particular. Maybe they can keep one or two, if Aaron can work his magic on his husband.

Evening dawns and Paddy and Chas leave them to start the bedtime routines and Wolfie to her new role of motherhood. After bathing the twins in the baby baths so they can keep an eye on kids and dogs alike, Robert and Aaron come back downstairs from putting Theo and Joshua to bed. In fact, Robert stops dead after the last step.

Aaron pushes him in the back. "Oi, shift it." He follows Robert's gaze to Lin dressed in only his nappy (he's next on the bathing agenda), his hand held by a kneeling Iolo as he shows him how to stroke one of the puppies he's snuck from the box whilst Wolfie dozes. Beside them, Vincent cuddles another, cooing in her ear about how _she's a good girl too._ Aaron slides his arms around Robert's waist and hugs him from behind. "Sorry about today. It kinda got derailed, innit?"

"I think I want another one." Robert sighs.

"What?"

He half turns to draw Aaron in next to him instead and kisses his temple. "Look at them, Aaron. We've got kids and puppies. They're so - "

"You're getting broody again already?" he snorts, even if he knows what Robert means, looking at their boys being so cute and with the knowledge that there's two more sleeping soundly upstairs and another living it up at university. It's not just Wolfie who's done well.

"Hm, maybe once Theo and Joshua reach their first birthday we should look into it," he hums thoughtfully. Aaron can practically see the cogs turning in his head. "What if we went back to fostering? It worked with Vinnie and Lin before we adopted them."

"Really?" Aaron waits for the nod, secretly pleased. ""God, I've wanted to ask ya for the last couple of weeks - Okay, yeah. Yeah, lets do it. Let's have another kid."

It might take them longer than planned (a running theme since having kids) as Theo and Joshua's _second_ birthday comes and goes, but welcoming a sullen teenager named Taylor into the Sugden-Dingle brood is so very worth it.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading, lovelies x
> 
> I'm on tumblr at [theprincessed](http://www.theprincessed.tumblr.com). Come chat to me. :)


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